Why Animated Porn Is So Popular

"Hentai" was the most popular porn search term this year. Here's why.

• "Hentai" has been the most popular porn search term for the last few years.

• More than 1 in 4 adults report having had a sexual fantasy involving a cartoon or animated character.

• Men, gender-diverse persons, and those who identify as anything other than heterosexual are more likely to have had hentai-related fantasies.

• Hentai fantasies are related to our personalities, attachment styles, and level of interest in BDSM.

What was the most popular porn search term of 2022? According to Pornhub’s latest report, it was hentai. This was also the most popular term last year, and it seems to be on the rise. So what is hentai, and why do so many people seem to be drawn to it?
Hentai has been defined as “a subgenre of the Japanese genres of manga and anime, containing overtly sexualized characters and sexually explicit images,” according to Pornhub. In other words, it’s a form of cartoon porn.
Despite its seeming popularity, it’s not something that has yet received much research attention, but I do have some data that can shed some light on the appeal of this porn genre.
Why Animated Porn Is So Popular